Spurs search for answers in Game 3

It came as no surprise that the Spurs were less than their best in the series opener against Golden State. They’d just had an eight-day layoff following their evisceration of the Lakers in the first round, while the young Warriors were still lathered from upsetting favored Denver.

Fighting back from 16 points down with four minutes left to win in double overtime figured to be just the wake-up call the Spurs needed, especially with a day off to fine-tune their approach.

Well, not exactly.

They actually played worse in Game 2, falling behind by 19 at the half and, unlike their historic comeback two nights prior, sputtering down the stretch. This time it was Klay Thompson who did the damage, staggering the Spurs with 34 points and eight 3-pointers.

“I felt like Steph Curry out there,” he said on Thursday, a suitable comparison after Curry went off for 44 in the series opener. “We’re in the driver’s seat right now. We control our own destiny.”

The Spurs are now faced with limiting a backcourt that is averaging eight 3s and almost 60 points per game in the series, while jump-starting its own offense after a sluggish Game 2, in the confines of perhaps the NBA’s most intimidating arena.

Making matters tougher is the fact the Warriors — yes, the historically sieve-like Warriors — play substantially better defense at home.

Their 99.7 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) at Oracle Arena ranks 10th in the NBA, and would place fifth over an entire season. Regardless of where they play, the Warriors have also held their opponents below their normal shooting rate in seven of eight playoff games.

All of this poses major problems for a Spurs team that, first round notwithstanding, is still struggling to recapture its mid-season rhythm.

Unable to simply exert their will on the opposition, the Spurs have developed into a more finesse-oriented years in recent years. When the ball is moving and shots are falling, it’s not unlike fine sports car. But like those beautiful yet temperamental machines, it doesn’t always take much to knock them out of commission.

Such has been the case with the Spurs’ engine, Tony Parker. His scoring production has been decent with 28 and 20 points, but he’s shooting 41.9 percent in the series. Parker has had particular trouble with the 6-7 Thompson, making just 2 for 10 shots with a turnover when matched up directly per Synergy Sports.

It’s illustrative of an issue that began right around the time Parker and Ginobili went down with injuries late in the regular season.

The Spurs’ offensive rating plummeted by almost eight points per 100 possessions over the final 18 games of the regular season. They’ve been inconsistent so far against the Warriors, shooting 39.3 percent in Game 2 after making 13 3-pointers in Game 1.

Then there’s the matter of where to stick Parker on defense. Either he wears himself out chasing Curry through thickets of screens, or he’s wrestling with Thompson, 6-8 Harrison Barnes or the burly Jarrett Jack.

The Spurs have more than enough experience and coaching to find the necessary answers. But unless they do it quickly, they could soon face the prospect of another dream season evaporating before their eyes.